Titans president promises changes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans president and CEO Tommy Smith said the team is "shaking things up" and "the status quo is unacceptable" in a radio interview before the team's appreciation bash for season-ticket holders.

Smith has handed a lot of power to general manager Ruston Webster and the two decided to part ways with Mike Munchak and hired Ken Whisenhunt as coach.

Free agency starts March 11, and Smith reiterated the team will not hesitate to add quality pieces.

"I've said before, we're going to be active," Smith told "The Midday 180" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville. "We were active last year, and where Ruston and Ken see the need and find the talent, we're going to go after it. So within our confines within the salary cap and so forth, we're going to be active."

AP Photo/Mark ZaleskiPresident and CEO Tommy Smith promises improvement: "This is a new day for the Titans."

Two first-year Titans, Delanie Walker and Bernard Pollard, questioned how much some teammates cared when the Titans took a bad turn after a 3-1 start and finished 7-9.

Smith said he and Whisenhunt are concerned about having a healthy locker room.

"The locker room is very, very important in this sport," Smith said. "They all need to be pulling in the same direction. I'm not sure Delanie used the right word in terms of 'cancer.' But we need people to have equal commitment to winning, to the betterment of this organization."

Smith is working closely with the team's top non-football executive, Don MacLachlan, on initiative that will keep fans coming to LP Field and renewing season tickets.

"We did the focus groups last year, I read every response," Smith said in answering a question about temptations fans face to stay home. "I understand the 60-inch TV. And part of the initiatives we'll be rolling out soon, we're going to be more fan-centric, we're going to have things within the stadium that are not going to be available outside.

"It is a challenge. It's a challenge for college games, pro games, across the board. That means we have to work harder, we have to be smarter, we have to have more connectivity with our season-ticket holders, our suite holders, our sponsors and so forth. This is a new day for the Titans. We're breaking eggs, we're making omelets, we understand what's expected of us and we're going to work constantly, relentlessly at this."